A reliable furnace is one of your best allies when it comes to staying comfortable throughout the Clackamas winter. With that in mind, it only makes sense to take care of your furnace in every way you can. Sometimes, however, you may be damaging your furnace without even realizing it. To help ensure your heating system doesn’t break down when you need it most, consider these tips from Central Air Heating & Cooling to help you avoid damage to your heating system.
1. Change Your Air Filter on Time
Air filters, in and of themselves, don’t have the capability to alert you when they need to be replaced. Therefore, this can be an easy task to forget to do. However, neglecting to replace your air filter could have serious consequences for your heating system.
If your system can’t take in enough air, it will overtax the blower motor and could cause the heat exchanger to overheat, requiring major repairs from Central Air Heating & Cooling. Rather than risk a breakdown that could leave you without heat for a few days, it makes sense to set up reminders to ensure your air filter always gets replaced on time.
2. Don’t Overwork Your System
If your furnace is sized correctly for your home, it should have no problem maintaining any temperature you select, even if you like it toasty. However, if your home has significant air leaks or is lacking insulation, you could find that your heating system can’t keep up.
In this situation, you could find that you’re running your furnace more often than not, which risks overworking it to the point it sustains damage requiring the attention of technicians from Central Air Heating & Cooling. Therefore, if it seems like you just can’t get comfortable in your home, it’s a good idea to take a look around and see if you notice any major gaps or cracks that are sending your home’s heated air outside.
3. Keep Your System Maintained
Maintaining your furnace is one of the best ways to prevent damage for two reasons. The first reason is that regular maintenance from Central Air Heating & Cooling will help to prevent system malfunctions from occurring because all of your system components will be clean, well-lubricated, and properly tightened.
The other reason that maintenance is so important is that it’s typically during maintenance that the HVAC technician notices small problems. In most cases, if a problem can be repaired early, it will be much easier and much less expensive to fix than if the problem isn’t caught until a major malfunction occurs. Therefore, whether you think it needs it or not, be sure to schedule heating system maintenance with Central Air Heating & Cooling once every year.
Keep All Vents Open
To try and save energy, some people close vents in their home in rooms that are unused. While the intentions behind this process are certainly noble, the outcome of taking this action could be grim. This is because a closed vent raises the pressure in your heating system’s ducts and heat exchanger. Even one closed duct can push the pressure in your heating system above what it’s designed to handle.
While this probably won’t immediately require a repair, it can wear out your furnace over time. Rather than trying to close the rooms off, then, it’s a better idea to open the curtains in these rooms. This step will allow for increased solar gain that will help keep the rest of your house warmer.
Keep Your Ducts Clean
Your home’s ducts, although fairly simple, can be surprisingly effective at trapping large amounts of dust. If this occurs in your ducts, it can have the same effect as keeping vents closed, resulting in increased pressure in your heating system’s heat exchanger. Plus, clogged ducts can lead to mold and mildew growth that can harm the health of your family. Therefore, if you suspect a problem with your home’s ducts, it’s important to have them inspected to see if they’re due for a cleaning.
Helping You Get More Life Out of Your Heating System
At Central Air Heating & Cooling, we want to see our customers’ HVAC equipment last as long as possible. Therefore, whether you need furnace repair, installation or air conditioning services, we do it all with pride to ensure you can enjoy long-lasting comfort in your home. We can also install gas fireplaces and water heaters with the same commitment to excellence that has been a hallmark of our company for over 15 years. To take advantage of our five-star service, we encourage you to contact us at Central Air Heating & Cooling today. We look forward to serving all of your indoor climate comfort needs.